Monthly Archives: August 2018

The first week of school of the 2018-2019 school year is almost here, one of the most exciting weeks of the year. On behalf of teachers and the leadership team at UAS, we are overjoyed to welcome you!!

Many of us get the nervous jitters about the start of the year, as we don’t know what to expect. To help ease those jitters, we want to open the year with a chance to connect, communicate and answer questions or concerns you may have about the upcoming year at UAS. Please connect with myself and the leadership team by phone, email, social media at the contact information below.

On Wednesday, September 5th from 7pm to 8pm at the Middle/High School Library, we invite you and your family to join us for Meet and Greet to gather to connect and communicate, to answer questions and concerns. Refreshments will be provided!

On behalf of the team at UAS Middle School I look forward to meeting your family, and welcoming students next week to the start of a great year!

Monday, September 17th – Back to School Night for Parents, 6:30pm -8:30 pm, in the MS

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Do Students Go When They Arrive On The First Day?

MS students will start the day with their Advisory Teachers. A list of students, their advisory teacher, and the room of their first class is assessible online here – First Day of School Advisory List – and will be posted at each entrance of the school. Guides will be available in the hallways to get your child to the right room.

What is the All Student Trip to Aquaventure Waterpark?

On Thursday, September 6th, all MS students will go on a field trip to Aquaventure, a waterpark at Atlantis, The Palm. It will be a great time for students to build relationships with their peers and teachers.

To attend, students must return a signed available online here – permission form – and pay the 250 dirham fee to the Accounts Department. There is a snack bar menu for your child to get lunch, as well as educational tours, click on the links for more information.

What does my child need for School Supplies?

We request that your student arrives to school the first day with their school supplies. The school supply lists for each grade level are assessible online below.

We will continue to use previous policies on technology, phones, and academic honesty under the Student Honor Code. Parents are asked to review the policies and sign them with your student. The forms are available at the links below:

To participate in athletics, forms must also be signed. Paper copies will be printed and given to each student in their Advisory Class. You are welcome to review, print, and sign the forms before school begins. They are accessible at the links below.

Students uniforms will remain the same as last year. The uniform store is open this Saturday, September 1 and throughout the week from 7:30am – 4:00pm. The Uniform Policy is available here – uniform policy.

How does my student select Elective Classes?

Students may select their Elective Classes. If they did not select their courses at the end of last school year, have them see their Middle School Counselors by the end of the first week. If students do not complete course selection by Thursday, September 6th the elective will be assigned.

We love to recognize accomplishment and appreciation of students, parents, and staff for going above and beyond to help others, sharing new ideas, and great teaching and learning. Please let us know when great things happen!

We also want to continuously connect and communicate with you on upcoming events, important policies and student performance. Below is a summary of different ways to connect to what is happening in the Middle School, and how your child is progressing.

Scorpion Cast – A daily video or what is happening in the school will continue. They can be accessed daily at the UAS YouTube, linked here, and will be posted on the Middle School Blog.

UAS Newsletter – A weekly communication from the school, this email will provide information from all three divisions.

Middle School Blog – this blog, available here will be updated weekly to provide you with important information about our division. It will include upcoming dates, stories of recognition of students, parents, and staff, as well as resources parents can use to support their children in academics and socio-emotional needs.

Google Classroom – You will receive regular notifications from Google Classroom. Each classroom will provide you with information on daily classwork and homework. I encourage you to access Google Classroom weekly.

Online Gradebook– This is one of the most important keys to monitoring your child’s academic progress. A weekly check is best! Teachers are required to provide feedback on assessments within 10 school days and update them on Synergetic, which is linked here. If you are having problems accessing Synergetic please contact the IT department.

Social Media: Follow UAS-Dubai on Twitter (@uasdubai) and Instagram(@uasdubai)!

We are delighted to welcome you into the Universal American School community! Starting in a new school is a transition. We want to make it as comfortable and easy on students, and families, as possible. Come join us Sunday, September 2nd from 10:00am-12:00pm when we will host an orientation for students and parents new to the middle school. We will gather in the Secondary Library. You will be provided with directions to the library when you enter the main entrance of the school.

At the orientation, students will be greeted by “student ambassadors,” who will show them around the school and answer their questions. Further, teachers and other staff members will be there to show them how to access materials for their classes and help them address other topics pertinent to the life as a middle schooler at UAS.

For parents, we will provide you with information on our academics, communication, grading, grade book, and programs. Several teachers and members of our staff will also be there, as well as other parents who are delighted to answer your questions.

Please email me, Hana the MS receptionist (hmalek@uasdubai.ae) or the MS Assistant Principal Mr. Kurtis Trottier (ktrottier@uasdubai.ae) if you have questions, or specific topics you would like addressed. My email is asolivan@uasdubai.ae. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Previous to coming to UAS, Amanda was the Senior Manager of Teacher Development at the Denver Schools of Science and Technology (DSST), a network of thirteen American charter schools. There she led instructional coaching, helping teachers in all content and grade levels improve their teaching strategies. In doing so, Amanda trained the Directors of Curriculum and Instruction at each school on the best coaching practices and strategic planning for professional learning.

Prior to joining DSST, Amanda was the Secondary Girl’s Assistant Principal at the American International School in Abu Dhabi and an Assistant Principal at South Middle School in Aurora Public Schools, an American school district. There, Amanda was in charge of instructional leadership, led strategic planning and professional development, and was responsible for student discipline.

Amanda started her educational career in public and private schools in the US where she taught high school history for ten years. During this time, Amanda traveled internationally to write curriculum as part of the Hanban Delegation to China and the National Consortium for Teaching East Asia to Japan. Amanda presented her curriculum at the American National Council for the Social Studies, and led professional learning in several capacities, including running professional learning for all Social Studies teachers within Aurora Public Schools. Her work in curriculum and instruction was recognized when Amanda was awarded as the Colorado Teacher of the Year in 2013.

Middle School Assistant Principal-Kurtis Trottier

Kurtis Trottier is currently entering his 8th year at UAS and 11th year in Dubai. He comes from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and has previously been an English teacher in the High School as well as an Athletic Directors for the past 3 years at UAS. Previous to that, Kurtis spent 3 years teaching English at another international school in Dubai as well as a couple of years teaching English as a second language in Korea.

He has recently completed his Masters in Educational Leadership through the University of Northern Iowa and is excited for the opportunity to move into his new leadership role as an Assistant Principal with UAS’s Middle School.